With Newcastle preparing for their EFL Cup third round match against Wolves, we look at those rare cup matches in which the Magpies have had some joy.
Newcastle fans look dejected
It’s no secret that Newcastle United have an appalling record in cup competitions, particularly in recent years as premature cup exits seem to be their forte – much to the frustration of fans.
The club have not won a major trophy since 1969 and that drought looks to be continuing as the club have failed to make it past the fourth round of the FA Cup in each of the previous 10 seasons.
An equally poor record in the League Cup has offered Geordie fans little joy in recent years and despite a decent runs in Europe, the Magpies have not even came close to getting their hands on a major trophy in recent times.
Since 2010, Newcastle have been knocked out in the third round of major cup competitions seven times, the fourth round five times and the quarter-finals just twice.
But despite all that – Newcastle have still experienced some very memorable matches in that period even if the inevitable disappointment of being knocked out would soon follow.
So ahead of United’s EFL Cup third round tie against Wolverhampton Wanderers at St. James’ Park on Tuesday evening (7.45pm kick-off), we look at the club’s top five cup matches so far this decade.
Here is the list…
5. Newcastle United 2-1 Blackburn Rovers (FA Cup Third Round – 2011/12)
The FA Cup third round clash between Newcastle and Blackburn at St. James’ Park in January 2012 wasn’t exactly the best of matches by any means but two defining moments saw the hosts come from behind to claim a memorable victory.
After David Goodwillie put Rovers ahead in the first half, the St. James’ Park crowd would have been resigned to thinking another early cup exit was on the cards as Newcastle struggled to create anything going forward.
However, a moment of sheer genius from the mercurial Hatem Ben Arfa saw the Frenchman pick the ball up on the halfway line before taking on just about every Blackburn defender, some more than once, before hammering the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
The goal is perhaps one of the finest goals ever seen at St. James’ park and was deservedly nominated for the Puskas Goal of the Year award later that year.
To cap things off, Jonas Gutierrez sealed victory as he dinked the ball over an onrushing Mark Bunn in the 95th minute of the game as an Ewood Park replay looked set.
It was a great match from a Newcastle fan’s perspective and one that will be remembered for some time for that moment of brilliance from Ben Arfa.
Newcastle’s Hatem Ben Arfa scores their first goal
4. Nottingham Forest 3-4 Newcastle United (League Cup Third Round – 2011/12)
Earlier in that same season, Newcastle enjoyed another great cup victory, this time away to Championship side Nottingham Forest.
A brace from United’s Peter Lovenkrands was countered by strikes from Robbie Findley and Matt Derbyshire to take the match into extra-time at 2-2.
Danny Simpson quickly put the visitors back ahead with a cross-cum-shot but then Marcus Tudgay made it 3-3 just before the end of the first half of extra-time.
With penalties looming Newcastle piled bodies forward and were rewarded as captain Fabricio Coloccini netted a 122nd minute winner to send the away fans into delirium.
Fabricio Coloccini (Far L) celebrates with team mates after scoring the fourth goal for Newcastle
3. Manchester City 0-2 Newcastle United (League Cup Fourth Round – 2014/15)
Before this match Newcastle had lost each of their previous 11 matches against Manchester City and had never won at the Etihad Stadium so when they were drawn against the Premier League holders at the time, many Geordie fans had already conceded defeat prior to kick-off.
And when Alan Pardew named a severely under strength side which included teenagers, Adam Armstrong and Rolando Aarons as well as several other fringe players – they seemed to stand little chance against the likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva and Sergio Aguero.
But when Aarons gave the visitors a surprise lead inside the first 10 minutes, the Citizens were completely caught off guard for what should have been a straightforward victory.
The home side struggled to break the resilient Magpies’ defence down and when substitute Moussa Sissoko wrapped things up late on, many couldn’t believe what they had just witnessed.
Not only had Newcastle beaten Manchester City in their own back yard for the first time but they did it with what was arguably not much more than a reserve side.
Moussa Sissoko celebrates scoring the second goal for Newcastle
2. Chelsea 3-4 Newcastle United (League Cup Third Round – 2010/11)
From one League Cup upset to another, in 2010, newly promoted Newcastle travelled to Stamford Bridge to face a Chelsea side in irresistible form.
The Blues had won all of their matches so far this season and had won each of their previous eight home games, scoring a massive 39 goals and conceding just two – an average of almost five goals per game.
So when Chelsea took an early lead through Patrick Van Aanholt and dominated the early stages, Chris Hughton’s side looked like they could be the latest team to be on the receiving end of a Chelsea thrashing at Stamford Bridge.
But it wasn’t to be as misfit forward Nile Ranger levelled things up against the run of play just before the half-hour mark and Ryan Taylor gave the visitors a shock lead just a few moments later as he curled in a trademark free-kick from the edge of the box to make it 2-1 at half-time.
And things got even better for the Magpies as Shola Ameobi placed a 30-yard side-footed effort delightfully into the bottom right corner to make it 3-1 just after the restart.
But as the game wore on Chelsea started to get a foothold as Nicolas Anelka pulled one back with 20 minutes remaining.
Then in the final few minutes, Newcastle’s Cheick Tiote conceded a penalty that was cooly dispatched by Anelka to level things up as the game looked to be heading to extra-time with the home side having the momentum.
But in the 90th minute, Ameobi’s fine header from Jonas Gutierrez’s corner saw the Magpies nick a famous last minute victory in what was one of their best cup victories in recent years.
Shola Ameobi (hidden) celebrates with his team mates and the fans after scoring Newcastle’s fourth goal
1. Newcastle United 1-0 Anzhi Makhachkala (Europa League Last-16 – 2012/13)
After a 0-0 stalemate in Russia, Newcastle’s Europa League last-16 tie with Anzhi Makhachkala looked to be heading for extra-time after almost three hours of goalless football.
A largely uninspiring match then burst into life in the final moments as Anzhi’s Mbark Boussoufa rattled the crossbar with a long rage free-kick and Samuel Eto’o also came very close to securing the Russian side’s place in the quarter-finals.
But in the 94th minute of the match, Papiss Cisse’s header sent St. James’ Park into absolute rapture as the club’s Premier League struggles were almost forgotten as the Magpies secured their place in the last-eight as the full-time whistle was blown before Anzhi got the chance to restart the match.
The fact that this match is arguably Newcastle’s finest cup moment this decade just goes to show how much they’ve underperformed but the atmosphere following the goal was second to none.
Papiss Cisse (L) celebrates with Steven Taylor after scoring the first goal for Newcastle
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